REWORKING RIVERS’ DEAL CLEARS CAP SPACE

The Chargers have cleared more than $3.3 million in 2013 cap space by reworking Philip Rivers’ contract.

The move was done to sign a player, a source with knowledge of the deal said Friday.

Rivers was due to earn $12 million in base salary this season. The restructure adds no new money to the quarterback’s contract that runs through 2015, simply transferring $5 million of his salary into signing bonus. The bonus becomes prorated over the life of the three remaining years, hence the approximate $3.3 in new space.

This effort could be an indication the team is positioning itself to re-sign linebacker Donald Butler to a contract extension. Talks had been quiet on that front, sources said earlier this week, but if an extension is to be achieved this calendar year, it must be done before the Monday night opener against the Texans.

The Chargers and Eugene Parker, Butler’s agent, are not expected to discuss a contract extension during the season. A source familiar with those discussions said Friday morning there is “nothing new at this time. We’ll see what happens.”

Butler is entering the final season of a four-year rookie contract.

Blackout warning

Rivers could pass for 1,000 yards on Monday night.

More shocking would be no local television being allowed to air it.

The Chargers are on blackout watch for their season opener against Houston as they announced Friday a 24-hour extension from the NFL to sell about 3,500 general tickets. The deadline is 7:20 p.m. today.

San Diego has seen its share of blackouts, including four last year, but it would be highly improbable for a Monday Night Football game that ESPN is televising nationally to go unseen in its local market. The game is all but a certainty to be shown in the area.

Still, the possibility technically looms.

Presuming no blackout, the game will be broadcast in San Diego on both ESPN and KUSI-TV, Channel 9.

Double play

A significant revision to the Chargers’ schedule could come this month.

Their Oct. 6 game against the Raiders may be moved from Oakland to San Diego in an effort to accommodate the MLB playoffs. The A’s began Friday a half-game back in the AL West and comfortably controlled one of two wild-card spots. Both Oakland clubs share
O.co Coliseum as a home venue.

“We monitor the baseball playoff situation every year,” a league spokesman said Friday. “If there is any change to our schedule, we would announce it at the appropriate time.”

Early indications are the locations in the Chargers and Raiders divisional series this year will indeed be flip-flopped, but no decision has been finalized. That is not expected to come until roughly a couple weeks before the Chargers and Raiders are scheduled to play, allowing for team travel and other necessary arrangements to be organized.

If the first Chargers-Raiders game is moved to San Diego, the second will move from it. The teams are scheduled to play at Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 22.

Nuts ’n’ Bolts

• Inside linebacker Manti Te’o (foot) was the only Charger to miss Friday’s practice. Everyone else was a full participant.

• A day after his release, defensive end Brandon Moore was re-signed to the practice squad. Defensive lineman Will Pericak turned in his playbook in a corresponding move.